Street indicator



v March 17, 1925.

J. W. ADAMS STREET INDICATOR Filed Oct. 9, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l HHRRIS ST.

YORK ST HHLL ST BOYD ST awe 141 0 6 iii 1562627706 aw/J March 17,- 1925. 7 1,530,339

' J. w. ADAMS STREET INDICATOR Filed Oct. 9, 1922 2 SheetsSheet 2 Swan/who's &

,' with electric cars v give the proper signal to stop the car when the line 33 of Figure 2;

Patented Mar. 1 7, 1925 UNITED STATES ,JoHN w. ADAMS, or SAVA NAH, ononem.

STREET mule-Aron.

Application filed October 9, 1922. iSerial N0. 593,311.-

To all whom it may concern; 1

Be it known that 1, JOHN VV. Anal-its, a citizen of the United States, residing at Savannah, in the county of'Chathani and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in- Street Indicators of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to street indicators especially adapted for use in connection The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will indicate to the passengers in the car the next approaching street in time to permit them to they have reached their destination.

Another object is to provide an electrically controlled device which will be automatically operated in advance ofthe street indicated, and will notify passengers of the change of street indication by audible or other signal.

A further object is the production of a. street indicator which ispositive in operation and capable of being used at either end of the car or reversed to permit usethereof under various conditions.

With the above objects in view the invention consists of the following novel com--- bination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described illustrated in the accompanying; drawings and pointed out in the claims iher eto alppendledf.

In the drawings; I c a V Figure 1' is a view in diagram of a por} tion of an electrically operated carhaving the invention applied thereto, the trolley wire and the suspending wires being also: shown; a

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view; through the indicating mechanism; Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view'on Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view through the retarding cylinder and showing the valve for regulating the speed of the return movement of the piston; I 1

Figure 5 is and enlarged detail view of the depending spring hinge contacts. and the provision of the trolley wire and the suspending wires; and

Figure 6 is a detailed elevation of the endless chains and the street indicating panels carried thereby; i Y 7 Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional View electric car B means of an I illustrating the manner of mounting the ,shiftable reversing ears.

In'its practical rorm th invention includes a casing A in whichishousedthe indicating mechanism, the said casing being adapted to be secured at either end of an as illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 1. The invention also includes the movable or travelling contact I C which is carriedby the trolley pole D and is located in the path of the depending spring contacts E; which aresecured to the suspending wires F which carry the trolley wire Gr. I

Located within the 'casingA is an inindicated the names of various streets passed bythe car. The front of the casing A is provided witha magnifying lens 20 for the purpose of viewing and enlarging the names upon the panels 19. The invention provides means by which the position of the lens may be changed, and for this purpose the said lens is secured to a curtain 21 which covers theupper portion of the front of the casing and is mounted uponrollers 22 and 23, the said curtain being secured in'adjusted position by means of the set screwlQ l, a For thepurpose of lr'ving the chains 18 the shaft '14- is provided with a gear 25,

-which meshes with an idler gear 26, the gear 26 engaging a, gear 2" secured to thedriv:v mg shaft 12. In order toreverse the direc- "tion of travelof the sprocket chains 18, the gear 27' also engages 2;,1631'128, whlch meshes with an idler 29 which is adapted to be brought into engagementwith the gear 25..

When the gear'2 9 is engaged with the gear 25, the gear 26 is disengaged therefrom in order to permit the reverse movement of the chains 18. For the purpose of shifting the gear26 and 2'9,thesaid gears are mounted 7 sulated metal supporting frame 10, with Ice upon a pivoted bar 30 in a manner to permit of the engagement of the gear 26 with the gear 25, and the disengagement of the gear 29 and vice versa as desired For this purpose the pivot of the bar 30 is carried by an internally threaded socket bearing 30, which operates in a slot provided in the casing A. and which is held in adjusted position by means ot a handle 30. This handle has a threaded engagement with the bearing 30 The gearing just described is driven by a ratchet mechanism which is electrically operated. This mechanism. includes the ratchet 51. which is secured to the shatt 12 .i and is driven by means oi the loosely pivoted of the sprocket wheel. ihe bar 33 is pivoted upon the frame as indicated. at 37 and. the

short arm of this bar carries an armature 38, which is controlled by an electromagnet 39. The magnet is included in an electric circuit, one wire d0 of which connects to one of the depending spring contacts E. The other wire d1 has included therein a switch, the contacts of the said switch being secured to the inside of the casing A as shown at 42 and 43. The end ot the wire which connects the contact 32 is grounded in any convenient manner. In order to normally close the switch just described, the bar 33 is provided upon the end opposite the armature 38 with a movable contact ele ment i l so that when the parts are in their normal or initial position the switch just described is closed. Secured to the bar 33 is a spring 45, which acts to bear down this end of the bar and keep the contacts 42, 4:3 and 4.4 in engagement. The spring is provided with tensioning means in the form of a thumb nut 4L6. In order to prevent too rapid. return of the bar 33 after it has been operated bythe magnet 39 and the circuit broken there is provided a retarding air cylinder 4-.7. Pivoted tothe bar 33 is a rod a8, and the opposite end of this rod is provided with a piston which operates within the cylinder at. By this construction the return or". the bar under the action of the spring is Wlll be retarded, and the speed of its return may be controlled by means of a regulating valve located within the lower end of the cylinder l7. Also included in the circuit wire 40 is an audible signal in the term of a bell, which is adapted to be operated upon the closing of the circuit and the operation oi the indicating mechanism.

The depending contacts E are located a suitable distance in advance oi": the street crossings in order to permit the occupants t the car sutiicient time to give the proper signal to stop the car and one of these contacts l?) is provided for each crossing. As the movable contact C engages the contactthe magnet is energized and attracts the armature 38 to cause the swinging of the bar upon the pivot 37. The upward movement ot one end ot the bar will cause the dog 32 to engage a tooth ot the ratchet 31 and rotate the shaft 12 a sufficient distance to operate the gearing to move the chains 15 and expose the panel of the next succeeding street. The u iward n o cment of the bar Z33 wili cause the breaking oi? the circuit through the contacts 4-2, Q3 and i4: and owing to the retarding action of the cylinder 47 the contacts C and iii will become disengaged betore the return of the bar 33 to its initial position.

The hand operated switch 51 is included in the circuit, connected with a convenient source oi supply for the purposeof operating the mechanism to reverse the street indication when desired.

From the foregoing description it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention. will be fully understood and a further explanation is therefore unnecessary.

Having described the invention what I claim, is:

ii. street indicator for vehicles comprising an endless belt and gearing for operating the belt, a pivotally mounted switch lever. a contact element carried by one end of the lever, spaced contacts located in the path of and normally bridged by the. lever car ried contact, an electromagnet included in circuit with the spaced contacts and with a source of current, means whereby a. cir-' cuit may be completed through the magnet to energize the latter, an armature carried by the opposite end of the switch arm witl in the field of the. magnet, whereby the arm may be actuated to interrupt the circuit, means connected to the switch arm and engaging the gearing tor actuating the latter to operate the belt when the switch arm is operated, means for returning the switch arm to normal position and means for retarding the return movement of said arm.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature.

' JOHN W. ADAMS' 

